Mizoram: Two Arrested for Lynching a Young Man Accused of Theft
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Aizawl, Dec 23 (NationPress) The Mizoram Police have apprehended two individuals associated with a Village Defence Party (VDP) in relation to the homicide of a 31-year-old man in the vicinity of Aizawl, stemming from allegations of theft, according to officials on Monday.
A police spokesperson revealed that the suspects, identified as K. T. Zonunsanga, 31, and R. Lalhmangaihzuala, 56, were taken into custody on Sunday and subsequently presented before a local court, which remanded them to police detention.
Both detainees are affiliated with the VDP in the Tuirial Airfield region.
The suspects allegedly murdered the victim, David Lalmuanpuia, on December 18 due to suspicions regarding his involvement in a theft incident within the Tuirial Airfield area, located approximately 18 km east of Aizawl.
Expressing sorrow over the unfortunate incident, Home Minister K. Sapdanga urged community workers to refrain from taking the law into their own hands and to operate within legal boundaries.
According to reports, the VDP members detained Lalmuanpuia and his associate Lalduhsaka based on suspicions of stealing money from a pastor's residence.
Lalmuanpuia's mother, Nunthangmawii, claimed that the VDP members took her son from their home on the night of December 18 after receiving a complaint from the pastor, who alleged that Rs 26,000 had been misappropriated from his quarters while he was attending church.
Nunthangmawii asserted that the VDP members interrogated her son for several hours while subjecting him to brutal assaults, which ultimately led to his demise.
"I begged for compassion from both the VDP members and the pastor to intervene, but my pleas fell on deaf ears," the mother recounted to law enforcement and the media.
After enduring prolonged interrogation and mistreatment, Lalmuanpuia was discovered unconscious in the VDP facility and was transported to a hospital in Aizawl late on December 18.
According to Nunthangmawii, her son succumbed to his injuries in the early hours of December 19.
She noted that while her son occasionally used drugs, he was not involved in the theft, as he had been at home during the time the alleged theft occurred.
The police have filed a case of culpable homicide under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) following a complaint lodged by Nunthangmawii.
Lalmuanpuia's death has sparked significant public outrage in the state, with many citizens demanding severe penalties for the lynching and holding the pastor accountable for allegedly neglecting the victim's mother's cries for help.
Meanwhile, the Centre for Environment and Social Justice (CESJ), led by social activist Vanramchhuangi, has called on the state government to take decisive action against the accused individuals.
The CESJ issued a statement warning that if the government does not act swiftly, it will escalate the matter to the National Human Rights Commission to seek justice for the victim.
Additionally, it demanded an amendment to the Mizoram Police Act, 2011, which governs the formation of the VDP, to prevent community policing from exceeding legal boundaries.
